After moving to 2-1 in the Big East for only the third time in school history last week, Mike Rice knew the importance of Saturday night’s game against No. 21 Cincinnati.

He knew what was on the horizon for Rutgers. How a win could change the direction of the season and the perception of the Scarlet Knights.

Most importantly, he wanted Rutgers to remain grounded.

No problem with that now.

"They played harder," Rice said afterward. "They played tougher. And that’s why they got the victory."

In what was considered one of the most important regular-season games of Rice’s three-year tenure in Piscataway, Rutgers was thoroughly manhandled by the Bearcats last night.

The 68-58 loss brought the Scarlet Knights down to earth.

A swift and decisive punishment was doled out by Cincinnati, putting Rutgers back in its place and searching for the next step.

"We definitely recognized the opportunity that we had," said senior forward Austin Johnson. "But we understand that we didn’t do things that make us successful on the court. So it’s a loss. We’ll have to put it in the past and focus on the next game."

Never before in the 18 years since it has been a member of the Big East Conference had Rutgers started league play with a 3-1 record. That was on the table Saturday night. Along with a second win in a week over a top-25 opponent. Along with the potential that Rutgers (11-4, 2-2 Big East) could finally earn a measure of respect it has not enjoyed for the majority of those 18 years.

Instead, Cincinnati bullied it away from them.

For the first 24 minutes, Rutgers made only five field goals in the face of stifling defense from the Bearcats (14-3, 2-2 Big East) that eliminated the Knights leading scorer, sophomore guard Eli Carter, from the equation. Carter was just 1-for-11 from the floor with six points, before fouling out late in the game. Only Myles Mack’s 15 points gave the Scarlet Knights a flicker of hope that the tide could be turned.

But with Carter contained, Rutgers struggled to do much of anything.

"I just have to make shots when I’m open," Carter said when asked if he needs to change his game up after going 4-for-25 in his last two games. "Nothing different."

Rice was also dismayed at the lack of toughness his team showed in closing out defensive possessions. Numerous times throughout the game, Rutgers had Cincinnati cornered with only a few seconds left on the shot clock — only to see the Bearcats sink a basket or get an offensive rebound to start a new possession.

"There was no fire and brimstone out of me today," Rice said. "My team really tried hard. They just didn’t respond the way I would’ve liked in the first half in becoming tougher and relying too much on jump shots."

Now Rutgers goes back to the drawing board, in hopes that its first test of this still-young season won’t be its only one.

A currently winless South Florida team will be next up for the Scarlet Knights Thursday as they look to find what they had been searching for Saturday night.

"We’ll just take the actual basketball things from this," Johnson said. "We know that in any game in the Big East, just focusing on the basketball things that we can control. We’ll be alright."